Fitness influencers slammed for 'disgusting' act

A pair of fitness influencers have caused outrage among their followers after making fun of another gym-goer in a “disgusting” video.

The German influencers, known on TikTok by their handles @fit.berna and @fitmitdebbs, shared a clip captioned, “Copying the weird man in the corner of the gym,” reports the New York Post.

The women filmed themselves doubled over with laughter as they mocked the man’s workout moves. He was exercising with his back towards them, and thus oblivious to what they were doing.

It wasn’t long before their followers called them out for “making fun” of the man, calling it a “disgusting” cry for attention.

One user who reshared the clip wrote, “These two girls are making fun of a guy who was just working out. Let’s make them famous.”

“It’s people like that, that make the gym a scary, unachievable place for others,” another commented, while another pointed out, “They are trying their best. I have no idea why they think this is so hilarious?”

Another user pointed out, “This is the exact reason why people are scared to go to the gym. You are the reason why some people are intimidated by the fitness community.”

Another woman said it brought back negative memories for her, writing, “As a person who has been bullied since the age of 10, that kind of behaviour is unacceptable.”

Another TikTok creator, @noah_bermudez3, reposted the clip with his own commentary, saying, “What did I just witness here? These two wannabe influencers legit pointing and laughing at this guy minding his business. Look at her face. They somehow thought it was a good idea to set up a tripod and film themselves copying him?”

Others pointed out that in this case two women were instigating the “bullying”, when it’s often females who are uncomfortable in a gym environment.

The Guardian reported earlier this year that a 2021 study found that 76 per cent of women aren’t comfortable exercising in the gym due to fears of harassment, while a Run Repeat survey last year found that nearly 56 per cent of women said they had been harassed during a workout.

The official Facebook page belonging to @fitmitdebbs has been overwhelmed with negative reviews since the video was posted.

One review reads, “Absolutely would never rely on a trainer that feels it’s acceptable to make fun of others trying to better themselves.”

Another called her and her fellow influencer @fit.berna “rude and disrespectful towards others in the gym”.

Neither of the influencers have spoken in response to the criticism, but they’ve both since made their social media pages private.